Something Beautiful
by Miss Higher Power
Summary: A major, life changing event takes place. Will it be a disaster or something beautiful? Eventual Tiva.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. I really, really wish I did, but I don't.

* * *

There was nothing unusual about the birth.

It was shortly after 10 pm when the young woman was admitted to the hospital maternity ward. Barbara Hodgson had been an obstetrics nurse for over 30 years, and several single mothers had delivered babies during that time. Most had family members or friends with them, but occasionally a woman, like this one, would come in alone.

In the years that Barbara had been nursing, she had seen women in all stages of labour arriving at the hospital. Women in false labour, women in the first stage of labour, women in the second stage of labour, women arriving with only minutes to spare, even women who were a few minutes too late. Nurse Barbara had seen it all. It wasn't at all unusual that the examination revealed that this expectant mother was almost fully dilated.

When Nurse Barbara had started nursing in 1975, at age 22, she was shocked and surprised by the variety of ways that women handled childbirth. Some women cried, some screamed, some yelled, and some were completely calm. When she had her own children, several years later, she came to understand all of those responses. Except calmness, she would never understand calmness. The calmness that this woman maintained was admirable, and while it wasn't the prevalent response, it wasn't unusual.

Nurse Barbara had participated in the delivery of hundreds of babies. All mothers were exhausted after delivering, and those without a companion to buoy them up, often faded more quickly. In fact, not all mothers wanted to hold their child immediately, but in this case, the new mother dutifully held her new baby for 10 minutes and then requested that her baby be taken for the proper testing and procedures.

Over the years, breastfeeding had gone in and out of style several times. So when the new mother informed Nurse Barbara that her baby would be bottle fed, Barbara noted the information on the chart. She felt that new mothers were already exhausted, and never argued with them over the sometimes controversial topic. When the new mother requested that her child be fed in the nursery so that she could rest for a few hours, Nurse Barbara asked her if she was sure, but the mother remained adamant that she be left alone.

In fact, up until this very moment, that was the only peculiarity regarding this birth. But now Nurse Barbara was standing next to a bassinet containing a beautiful baby in an otherwise empty room, reading a not instructing her to contact NCIS.

There had been nothing unusual about this birth, but now she would never forget it.

* * *

A/N: I did some research for this, but I don't claim to be an expert, so I'm sure that there are mistakes. I also realize that the likelihood of a new mother being able to walk out of a hospital unnoticed is little, but I'm taking artistic license. Please review! 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

* * *

Beep beep.

Beep beep.

Tony flung his arm onto his nightstand and groped around for his alarm clock. When the noise continued after he hit the off button, Tony used his other arm to push the covers off his face. He looked toward his nightstand to see his cell phone flashing and still ringing. He grabbed it and flipped it open.

"It's 4:30 in the freakin' morning. This better be important." Tony mumbled into the phone.

"Sorry, DiNozzo. It's Elaine from dispatch." The voice on the line said.

"Morning, Elaine. What've we got?" He asked as he switched on his lamp and sat up.

"Georgetown University Hospital. Infant born just before 0100. Mother's vanished."

"Great. Mother was one of ours?"

"Don't know. She left a note instructing contact with one NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo."

"Well, that's a first."

"Official response?"

"Field team to visit scene. Contact CPS and forward info to…Who's in Files & Records today?"

"Roster says Hilda Montgomery."

"Eesh. Forward info to Files & Records for creation. And if I'm not in by 0730, can you pick up a cheese bun and deliver it to Hilda's desk? I'll…"

"Pay me back, love me forever, help my youngest son get into college. I've heard it all, DiNozzo."

"Come on, Elaine. It's for the greater good."

"Alright, but you owe me, Tony."

"And you'll be thanking me when you get to go home this afternoon, and Miss Montgomery hasn't made the girls in your department cry."

"True. You want me to call the rest of the team?"

"I'll call David and McGee. Leave voice messages for Abby and Ducky. There's no need for everyone to be woken up early."

"Will do. And, Tony?"

"Yeah, Elaine?"

"If I don't see you, have a Happy New Year."

"Thanks. You, too."

Tony flipped his phone shut and closed his eyes for a minute before opening his phone again and dialing McGee.

"Mmph." Came the reply.

"Up and at 'em, Probie. Got a case. I'll see you at the main entrance of the Georgetown University Hospital. One hour." Tony told him as he got out of bed and padded towards the kitchen.

"You got it, Boss."

"Heh."

"I mean Tony."

"Said Boss. One hour." Tony said before flipping it shut and putting it on the counter while he put his coffee on.

Heading back to his room, he opened his phone once again, this time dialing Ziva. She answered on the first ring.

"David." She answered, breathing heavily.

"What're…" he cleared his throat. "What're you doing?" He asked, cringing at what it sounded like she was doing.

"I am just returning from my morning run." He could hear her now, unlocking her door. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "What did you think I was doing?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." He said, laughing mechanically. "We have a case."

"Where?"

"Georgetown University Hospital. We're meeting at the main entrance."

"I will be there in an hour."

"Good. Hey, Ziva?"

"Yes, Tony?"

"You still coming tonight?"

"Oh, yes. Abby and I are quite eager to meet John and the 'particularly unpleasant beast of a woman" he calls his wife."

"I still can't believe he told you that. Or that you invited them."

"You said the more the merrier."

"That's why I invited you. Isabelle's gonna have a fit."

"Why? They told you to invite friends, yes?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"And everyone loves McGee…"

"Oh, yeah, she'll love McGee. He's polite; he brings hostess gifts. He's also successful and single. She's probably going to set him up with Meg."

"Who is Meg? And if she will love McGee, what is the problem?"

"Her sister. Only slightly less terrifying. McGee will fit perfectly, but Isabelle is going to freak when she sees Abby in the middle of her perfectly coordinated living room."

"I see. We will finish this later. I must shower now."

"Alright. See you in an hour." He snapped his phone shut and tossed it on his bed.

As he showered, got dressed, and headed to the hospital, he contemplated his conversation with Ziva. If he was truthful with himself, he wasn't terribly concerned with Isabelle's reaction. Sure, she was going to hate him, but she already did so it was no big deal. It was the fact that McGee and Abby were now coming along to a party that he had invited Ziva to with something less than strictly platonic motives.

Pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind, he concentrated on finding a parking spot and making his way to the hospital entrance, where both Ziva and McGee were waiting.

"Morning." McGee greeted him.

"Morning, Probie. What floor is Maternity?" Tony asked.

"We are going to Maternity?" Ziva asked as McGee consulted the hospital directory.

"Yeah, baby was abandoned with a note instructing contact with NCIS. Probie! Floor!"

"The Maternity Ward is on the fourth floor." McGee informed them as he pressed the button to call the elevator. "Why would anyone think that this is something NCIS would handle?"

"Well, I don't know, Probie. I just got here." Tony said as they exited the elevator and approached the desk. "I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo; this is Officer David and Special Agent McGee. We're responding to the call about the abandoned infant."

"I'm Barbara Hodgson. I'm the nurse who realized she was gone." She said as she came around the desk.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Tony asked her.

"The mother was admitted at 10:12 pm last night. When I performed the initial examination, she was seven centimeters dilated; that was at 10:30. It went fairly quickly. We moved her into delivery at 12:15. She delivered a healthy baby girl at 12:42. Everything was normal, good Apgar scores, delivery room procedures were followed. She held her daughter, and then insisted that her baby be bottle fed in the nursery so that she could rest. It's unusual, but we try to follow the parents' wishes." Nurse Barbara explained.

"When did you first notice that she was missing?" Ziva asked her.

"At 3:30 I went to check on her. I took her daughter with me, just in case she had changed her mind. I opened the door and pushed the basinet into the room. She wasn't in her bed. I immediately checked her bathroom, but it was empty as well. That was when I noticed the notes on the bed."

"Notes, Ma'am?" McGee asked.

"Yes, there were two. The first one was addressed to the medical staff, instructing the reader to call NCIS and request Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. The second note is sealed, but it's addressed to you, Special Agent DiNozzo." McGee and Ziva exchanged looks.

"We'll need to see notes, as well as her chart and her room." Tony told Nurse Barbara.

"Absolutely. Her room is right down this hall, first door on your left. I locked her chart and the notes in the office. I'll just go grab them." Nurse Barbara told them before she left to get the papers.

"You did not tell us that she requested you specifically." Ziva said to Tony as they pulled on their gloves.

"I figured she just got my name off the website." He told her.

"She came prepared. Car seat, diaper bag, baby clothes are all here." McGee informed them.

"You are not the team leader. Why did she not request Gibbs?" Ziva asked him.

"I don't know!" He told her exasperatedly.

"Here we are. Here are the notes. This top one was the one that I read. The next one is the note addressed to you, Special Agent DiNozzo. And then I brought the charts for both Miss Benoit and her baby." Nurse Barbara pleasantly informed Tony as she handed him the information.

"Who?" Tony asked as he face went white.

"The mother, her name was Jeanne Benoit."

* * *

Author's Note: This wasn't going where most of you thought it was going, but I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. 


	3. Chapter 3

See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

* * *

All three agents stood in stunned silence. They likely would have stayed like that for some time if it weren't for the presence of Nurse Barbara.

"Do you know her?" Nurse Barbara asked.

Ziva quickly pulled herself together and answered the question.

"Yes, he does. McGee, will you please escort Nurse Hodgson into the hallway."

"Right. Nurse Hodgson, if you'll come with me." McGee said as he moved to the door. After they were both in the hallway, he looked to Ziva. She inclined her head slightly and McGee closed the door.

After the door closed, Ziva turned to Tony, who was still standing in the middle of the room staring blankly at the information in his hands.

"Tony?" she said quietly as she moved toward him.

"It's her writing." He said, still looking at the paper.

"You should sit down." Ziva advised.

"Right." Tony moved to sit in the room's only chair.

"You should also read the letter she left you." Ziva told him as she removed the excess paper from his grasp. "I will leave you alone for a few minutes."

Ziva went to the door and quietly exited the room. As she pulled the door closed behind her, she saw Tony opening the envelope.

McGee and Nurse Hodgson were waiting silently in the hallway.

"Nurse Hodgson, are you still on duty?" Ziva asked, taking control.

"No, my shift ended a few hours ago, but I couldn't leave that sweet little girl." Nurse Barbara told Ziva.

"Thank you for your cooperation. If there are any further questions, we will contact you another day."

"I'll be available any time you need one." She told them, before leaving them alone.

"The baby's Tony's?" McGee asked Ziva.

"It would appear to be so. The timing seems correct." Ziva replied.

"He must be one heck of a good undercover agent." Tim muttered thoughtfully, more to himself than to Ziva.

"What?" Ziva said sharply.

"It's just that…well…if she knew the real Tony, she wouldn't have left her baby with him, would she? Ow!" McGee rubbed the back of his head and glared at Ziva.

"If you ever say anything like that again, you will never have children." Ziva told him menacingly. "Now, please call Abby and Ducky and ask them to meet us here. I would like Ducky to look over the charts. I am worried about the mother. She may be suffering from postnatal depression…"

"Partum." McGee inserted. Ziva gave him a bizarre look.

"I asked you to call Ducky…"

"Not pardon, partum. We call it postpartum depression." He told her.

"What does it matter? You knew what I meant?"

"Sorry. What should I tell Abby?"

"Abby should be prepared to take DNA samples. I believe that Child Protective Services will require proof that Tony is her father. I would also like you to put a BOLO out for the mother. She may require medical attention."

"On it." McGee replied as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and headed for the elevators.

As Ziva made her way to the desk, Ziva saw Nurse Barbara approaching the desk as well.

"Nurse Hodgson, before you leave, is there a landline I could use." Ziva asked.

"Of course." Turning to a young woman behind the desk, Nurse Barbara introduced her to Ziva. "Officer David, this is Lindsay McFadden. She'll be in charge of the day shift today. Lindsay, Officer David's team is here about Baby Benoit."

"Okay. Go home, Bobby. Have a nice day with your family. I've got it covered." Nurse Barbara smiled, said her goodbye's and headed for the stairs. "Officer David, I'll take you to our conference room. I'm guessing that nobody else is gonna need it today."

"Thank you. Were you here during the night?"

"No, my shift started when Bobby's ended. She didn't want to leave until she'd made sure someone was looking after the baby. It breaks her heart. Hell, it breaks my heart." Lindsay told her as they entered the conference room.

"I need to make a phone call, but then I'd like to see the baby."

"Sure, I can have her brought in."

"No, no. I will go to the nursery." Ziva corrected.

"Okay. Just take this hall all the way to the end, take your first left and keep going to the end. It's on the right." Ziva memorized the directions. "I'll be at the desk if you need anything else." The young woman left and Ziva sat down at the table and steeled herself for the call she was about to make.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Director. I hope I have not woken you."

"I was just sitting down with a cup of coffee and the paper." Jenny told her. "What can I do for you?"

"We have a situation, Director. It seems that our current case has ties to a previous operation." Intrigued Jenny laid her paper down and removed her glasses.

"Go on."

"I am not aware of the NCIS operation designation, but the CIA called in Loadstone." Ziva tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"La Grenouille. He's been off the radar for months."

"His daughter abandoned her newborn at the hospital this morning."

"Oh, my God. Tony."

"That is correct. She asked that he be contacted. I have taken over the investigation, but I believe…"

"I'll contact Gibbs immediately."

"His flight does not arrive until tomorrow." Ziva started.

"He'll be here today. Which hospital?" Jenny asked determinedly.

"Georgetown." Ziva told her.

"I'll be there as soon as possible." Jenny hung up the phone before Ziva could tell her that it would probably be best if she didn't show her face.

Hanging up the phone, Ziva pushed her chair away from the table and stood up. She entered the empty hallway and followed the directions she had been given to the nursery. Approaching the glass window, Ziva carefully read the tag on each basinet until she found Baby Benoit.

Lying in the basinet was a tiny figure wrapped in a pink blanket, wearing the smallest hat Ziva believed she had ever seen. It was hard to tell through the glass and from so far away, but she though the girl had Tony's mouth.

It had been several years since she had been of the belief that parents could do no wrong, but she had a hard time believing that any adult, a doctor no less, could do this. Looking at the baby, she knew that she would never have been able to walk away.

She didn't know how long she had been standing there when McGee found her.

"I've called Ducky and Abby. They're both on their way." McGee told her.

"Good. I have called the director. She will be here after she contacts Gibbs. She is arranging for him to come home today."

"So, uh, which one is Tony's?" McGee asked as he turned to the window.

"The second row, third from the end." Ziva said as she gently laid a finger on the glass indicating the correct basinet.

"She's cute."

"Yes, she is very beautiful. Tony will never let us forget that."

"What? You think he's gonna keep her?"

"I believe he will." She said quietly.

"I guess you're right, Gibbs would probably kill him if he didn't."

"I do not think that is the reason he will keep her."

They lapsed into silence for a few moments before Ziva spoke.

"I am going to check on Tony. Hopefully, he has had enough time." Ziva made her way back to the room where they had first received the news. She opened the door a crack and peered into the room.

"Tony?" He was standing at the window, looking out at the pre-dawn sky. He turned to look at her as she moved into the room and shut the door behind her. His eyes were red.

"You probably want to know what was in the letter." He said as he sat on the edge of the bed. She perched next to him.

"That is between you and Jeanne and your daughter." She gently placed a hand on his back. This small action seemed to give Tony courage.

"God. My daughter. I have a daughter. As in a girl. I don't know anything about kids. I really don't know anything about girl kids. They have hair and dresses and…the boys. Oh, God, the boys. I'm going to have to give the sex talk. You're supposed to have time. You're supposed to get nine months. He put his head in his hands and groaned quietly to himself.

"Nobody is ever ready to be a parent. Some people just get a little more notice than others." Ziva told him. He lifted his head slightly to look at her, his face filled with emotion.

"Do you think she knows that her mother just left her here?" His voice hitched slightly as he asked the question.

"Maybe. But right now she's sleeping like every other baby in the nursery. And when she wakes up, you'll be the first person that she sees. That is all that matters."

"You've seen her?" Ziva nodded. "How does she look? Does she look okay? She's healthy?"

"She looks fine. Beautiful. I think she has your mouth." Ziva told him. "Would you like to hold her?" Ziva asked him.

"Yeah, I would."

"I'll have her brought in."

* * *

A/N: Sorry this took so long, but I had writer's block. I'm not completely happy with it, but I think I've moved it along sufficiently. Please Review and let me know what you think. Thanks! 


	4. Chapter 4

As Ziva approached the desk looking for Nurse McFadden, the elevator doors opened revealing Ducky and Abby. Ziva went towards them as McGee came from the waiting room.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Where's Tony? Where's the baby? Is he okay? Is the baby okay? Has anyone…"

"Abigail, please. I know you're concerned, but there are patients here. This isn't autopsy." Ducky told Abby as she nervously wrung her hands.

"I'm sorry. I know; I just can't believe that Tony has a baby. Or that her mother left her here. Who does that? It's so movie-of-the-week. Which isn't even the kind of movie that Tony likes. I mean, I'm sure he's seen some, but I don't think that he would count them as real movies. More like glorified TV…"

"Abby!" Ziva interrupted the goth's rant. "They will both be fine. He's a little shocked right now, but he will be fine. I was just about to ask the nurse to bring her in to Tony. He wants to hold her.

"The baby is a girl, then?" Ducky asked.

"Yeah, sorry…I was a little shocked myself." McGee apologized.

"That's quite alright, Timothy. I didn't think to ask until I was on my way here. Ziva, my dear, if you'll provide me with the charts, I can study them while Tony meets his daughter. I do believe that Abby can collect the DNA samples after father and daughter have had to bond."

"Absolutely. A few minutes won't matter. Besides I'll only need to take a sample from her. We've already got Tony's DNA on file, so that'll speed things up." Abby told the group.

"Good. I will inform the nurse of our plans. You may wait in the conference room. Here are the charts, Ducky." Ziva passed the charts to Ducky.

Ducky, Abby, and McGee headed down to the conference room, while Ziva spoke with Nurse McFadden. As the nurse went to collect the baby, Jenny stepped off the elevator.

"Ziva." Jenny greeted her.

"Director."

"Gibbs's flight is due to arrive at Dulles at noon."

"Good." Ziva's stilted, one word answers seemed to make Jenny realize that her presence was unwelcome.

"Ziva, I know that Tony won't want to see me. I know that you don't, but I need to be here."

"Why? Because the mission is not finished?" Ziva said icily.

"No, because I take Gibbs's rules very seriously. DiNozzo's rules are just an extension of that."

"What are you talking about?" Ziva demanded.

"DiNozzo's rule number one: I don't sit on the sidelines when my people are in trouble. There's an innocent child in this building who is the result of something I set into motion. Now you can all hate me, but I need to know that child isn't ever going to be touched by my mistake." At Jenny's response, Ziva softened slightly.

"She will always be touched by this. Her mother abandoned her, and even if we find her, it will always be with her. We need to focus on helping Tony make sure that she is loved and protected and safe. And right now, the best way you can do that is to stay out of the way. I need to return to Tony. The others are set-up in the conference room down the hall." Jenny knew Ziva well enough to know that when Ziva was this passionate about something, nothing, not even the director of a federal agency could sway her.

"Alright. I'll meet Gibbs at the airport and bring him here later."

"Thank you." The women went their separate ways: Jenny to the conference room and Ziva to Tony. Ziva arrived at the room at the same time as the nurse with Tony's baby.

"Do you want to take her from here?" she asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

"I'll check on you in a few minutes."

The baby was stirring slightly as Ziva pushed the basinet into the room. After a moment's hesitation, Tony approached the basinet and lightly, almost reverently, touched a finger to the baby's face. Her eyes fluttered open briefly, giving Tony and Ziva a glimpse of her startlingly blue eyes.

"Tony, I would like you to meet your daughter."

"She really is beautiful." He whispered as he stared at her, his fingers still resting on her face.

"Are you going to hold her?" Ziva asked him.

"I…I don't know how to pick her up." He admitted shakily.

Ziva gently showed him where to place his hands and guided the baby girl's transfer from the basinet to Tony's arms. The baby fussed and made a few noises that caused Tony to adopt a look of panic before settling into the crook of his arms. Ziva allowed them a few moments before speaking.

"Gibbs will be arriving home today. An earlier flight was arranged for him." Ziva wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a look of relief pass over Tony's face. "Ducky and Abby are here. Ducky is reviewing her chart, and when you are ready, Abby needs to collect her DNA."

"She's mine." Tony told her in a voice that left no room for doubt.

"Yes, I know she is, but CPS will require proof."

"Right." After a brief silence, Tony spoke again. "I want Ducky to check her over, too, just to make sure she's okay."

"I will let him know." Ziva told him as she prepared to leave the room.

"No! Don't leave us alone." He looked up in alarm. "I'm not ready yet."

"Alright. I am sure they will find us eventually."

* * *

Jenny stood nervously at arrivals at Dulles International Airport. All around her, friends and families were being reunited. Jenny could feel the joy in the terminal, but nothing could remove the lead weight that had come to rest in her stomach. 

She had remained in the hospital conference room for almost an hour and a half before the tension in the room had become too much for her to bear. She had decided that she might as well wait at the airport where the dread of facing Gibbs would be slightly more bearable without the looks she was receiving from Tony's teammates.

The sound of doors swooshing open brought Jenny out of her reverie. Several people emerged before she spotted Gibbs approaching, carrying a duffel bag and sporting a scowl.

"How was your flight?" She asked as Gibbs walked past her, causing her to have to catch up with him.

"I need real coffee before I start cleaning up your mess." Gibbs informed her as he made his way towards the nearest coffee bar.

"I see." Jenny paused to collect herself as they got into the line. "Your luggage carousel is A3. I'm assuming you'll want to pick up your luggage and go directly to the hospital."

"Nope." The person ahead of them in line collected his coffee, and Gibbs stepped up to the counter and placed his order.

"No?" Jenny was confused, but waited until Gibbs had his coffee before resuming the conversation. "Would you care to inform me of your plans, Jethro?"

"Don't have luggage, and I need to stop by my place before you take me to the hospital. Which will give you time to explain to me what the hell happened." Gibbs told her as he walked toward the exit.

As Jenny pulled up in front of Gibbs's house, she thanked God for the reprieve, however brief it might be. The ride had been filled with shouted words and angry glares and absolutely no apologies. She figured it would only have made things worse.

Gibbs got out of the SUV, slammed the door, opened the back door, pulled his bag from the back seat, slammed that door, and stalked into his house.

Jenny rested her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. Less than ten minutes later, she opened them when she heard the rear door of the vehicle opened. Gibbs placed something in the cargo are and then got in the car. He spoke only once they were back on the road.

"I'm only gonna say this once, Jenn, and then I don't ever wanna hear about it again. I don't know if Tony's ever gonna forgive you or let you into her life, but she's your responsibility. Anything she ever needs or wants, you're gonna make damn sure she gets. Child care, college tuition, first car, prom dress. You're on the hook for it. You're her fairy godmother. And you answer to me. That team, they're my family. Nobody's ever gonna love her like this family will." With that, she settled into silence. Jenny fought the stinging in the back of her eyes. The issue was closed.

* * *

"I do think that our Anthony will name her something sensible. Perhaps Audrey or Nora." Ducky told Abby and McGee. 

"Ooh, Nora, that's pretty, Ducky. But he could name her something awesome, like…Esmeralda or, or Genesis, or, ooh, Diamond." Abby glared at McGee after he let a snort escape.

"Come on, this is Tony. He'll probably name her something completely unoriginal and trendy. In fact, $20 says he names her one of the top 10." McGee bet.

"And what are the top 10, Timothy?" Ducky asked curiously. McGee opened an internet search page and quickly pulled up what he was looking for.

"The official results aren't in for 2007, because it's not quite over, but I found the top 1000 names so far this decade." Abby rolled her chair in front of the computer, pushing McGee out of the way.

"Nobody cares, Timmy. Alright, here they are. Emily, Madison, Emma, Hannah, Abigail, Olivia, Ashley, Samantha, Alexis, and Sarah. Oh, all those poor little girls."

"Trendy and unoriginal. I'm guessing he goes with Madison."

"She meant all the girls named Abigail. And he'll pick something a little closer to home, McGee."

"Gibbs! You're home!" Abby half tackled Gibbs in a bear hug and then suddenly pulled away. "You think he'll call her Washington?"


	5. Chapter 5

I realize that it's been three months since I've updated, but I've had a really bad case of writer's block. The bulk of this story takes place in the future, and I know what's happening there. It's getting there that's causing me some grief. But I'm really working on it, and while this chapter isn't my best work, it serves its purpose.

* * *

Their voices drifted out to him as he approached the door to their room.

"Well, she is definitely your daughter." Ziva stated in an amused voice.

"Are you calling my daughter a pig?" Tony asked in the same amused tone.

"I am simply stating that she has quite a voracious appetite." She informed him.

"Oh."

"You are the one that eats like a pig." This statement was followed by a very un-Ziva-like giggle.

"Hey!" Tony's protest was quick, but still contained a hint of amusement.

As Gibbs looked around the door, he was met with a somewhat familiar scene. Ziva was sitting cross-legged on the bed, feeding the baby. Tony was seated next to her, with his legs stretched out along the bed. Both of his agents were looking adoringly at the child in Ziva's arms.

He remembered this. He and Shannon had sat like that after Kelly had been born. They'd been so exhausted, but so happy. He had sat in the same position next to Shannon, as Tony was sitting to Ziva. He and Shannon had looked at Kelly the same way that Tony and Ziva were looking at this baby girl. He briefly regretted having to interrupt them.

"Ziva, go get yourself something to eat." Gibbs stood just inside the doorframe. Ziva looked up at him. She silently shifted the baby to Tony's arms and went to the door. As she approached Gibbs, she gave him a significant look. Gibbs placed his hand on her shoulder. She nodded before turning to Tony.

"After I eat, I will bring the others."

As she left, Gibbs closed the door behind her. All of the amusement and joy that he had heard and seen before he interrupted appeared to have left the room with Ziva. A series of conflicting emotions was now present on Tony's face.

"Look, Boss, I know what you're…"

"Congratulations." Gibbs received an incredulous look from Tony.

"What?" Tony asked.

"Congratulations. Can I?" Gibbs moved to take the baby from a dumbfounded Tony. Gibbs moved around the room in silence for a few moments. "You decided on a name yet?"

"Uh, no." Tony rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, as he watched Gibbs feeding his daughter. "I was thinking about Caitlyn, but Ziva talked me out of it. She thought it would be too much to live up to, thought it might make a better middle name."

"She's right." Gibbs took a moment wipe the baby's mouth and placed the bottle on the table. "You wanna burp her?"

"Yeah. I'll take her." Tony took his daughter back and placed her against his shoulder, and gently started patting her back.

"How you holding up?" Gibbs asked as he took a seat.

"Truthfully? I'm barely holding it together." When Gibbs didn't respond, Tony continued. "Twenty-four hours ago I didn't even know she was a possibility. I swear, I didn't know. If I had known, I would've…I don't know."

"You would've done the right thing."

"I don't even know what the right thing is. All I know is that it didn't have to be like this. She didn't have to be left here…all alone. I didn't know that I could love someone this much. I didn't think I was capable of this much love. I didn't think it was possible. And when I think about her here all alone, I get this feeling…like I'm gonna be sick. Which is ridiculous, because I've seen kids in worse situations." A large burp sounded in the vicinity of his left ear. He contemplated putting her in her basinet, but decided to keep her close to him, enjoying the feeling of her tiny body in his arms and her warmth seeping through his shirt.

"Nothing's the same when it's your kid. That love you're feeling? It's just one of a million things she's gonna make you feel. Everyday she's gonna make you feel something different. And every single time you think you've reached the depth of some emotion, she's gonna reach down even further. Welcome to fatherhood, DiNozzo."

"What if…"

"You know where to find me."

"Thanks, Boss."

Both Gibbs and Tony looked towards the door, as Abby's voice became audible in the hallway.

"I don't care, Timmy. I'm going in. We've waited long enough. I wanna see the baby."

"But maybe they still need time."

"Time schmime. The kid's gonna be starting college before I see her. It's been hours."

Gibbs moved to open the door and Abby bounded into the room without a second thought, with Ducky, McGee, and Ziva following close behind.

"Thanks, Gibbs. Oh, Tony! She's so tiny. Can I hold her? Please, please, please."

"How many Caff-Pows have you had today?" Tony asked her. Abby held up her hands and started counting her fingers.

"Only…like, three?" Off of Tony's look she quickly amended her response. "Okay, four and a half."

"You can hold her, but you have to sit down." Abby quickly seated herself, and prepared to take possession of the baby. "And Ducky needs to look at her."

"Yeah, yeah. Protective already, geesh. Just give me the baby." Tony passed the baby to Abby. "Aw, so cute. Hi, I'm Auntie Abby. And you and I are gonna have so much fun. I can't tell you about any of it right now, because Daddy's still here, but it's gonna be amazing."

Tony was shocked for a minute. "Daddy." He whispered to himself.

Abby looked up at him. "Oh, do you want to be called something else? Like Pops or Papa. You could go formal and be Father…"

"No! Not Father. Daddy's good. I like Daddy." Abby smiled up at him.

"It suits you. Not that I want to call you Daddy. I don't. It's good for her. And for you. Not for me."

"Okaaay."

"My dear boy, I'll give her a quick once over. And then the wonderful medical staff here can prepare her to be discharged." Ducky said as he moved toward Abby and the baby.

"Right…Wait! Discharged?" The panic was back on Tony's face.

"Yes, I'm sure you'll want to get her home as soon as possible." Ducky had started the examination.

"But I don't have anything for her to sleep in. I only have what's here." Ziva and Gibbs noticed Tony's panic level building and took action.

"If I leave now, I can make it to the mall before it closes for the holiday. I will make a few necessary purchases to get you through until Wednesday. We can go shopping then."

"Right. Okay. No, where's she going to sleep?"

"I've got that covered." Gibbs told him. "Give me your keys. I'll drive your car to your place and I'll make sure everything's set up. Ziva, do your shopping and then drive them home. Abby, make sure you get what you need to satisfy CPS. And McGee, stop staring at the baby like it's gonna attack you."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: See Part 1.

* * *

After leaving the hospital, Ziva had driven herself directly to the nearest Target store. A drive that would have taken a normal person ten minutes, she had made in four. Her shopping experiences in America and had never included shopping for infants, and shopping in America was quite different than shopping in Israel, or even the UK.

Now Ziva found herself standing in the middle of the baby department, surrounded by rows of onesies, sleepers, bibs, diapers, blankets, and a variety of other baby products. She wasn't quite sure where to begin. Ziva closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and thought back to the room at the hospital and the items stacked in the corner. There was a baby carrier, a baby snowsuit, and a diaper bag. She quickly performed a mental inventory of what had been in the diaper bag: eight diapers, two bottles, two onesies, one blanket, one shoulder pad, one pacifier, one package of baby wipes, one sleeper, one bib, and one bottle of baby powder. She did not recall seeing a hat or mittens or a changing pad. She would start there.

Gripping the handle of the shopping cart she had retrieved upon her entrance into the store, Ziva maneuvered herself toward a display of hats and mittens. She quickly picked a set of tiny pink fleece mittens and a matching hat, before moving on.

Thirty minutes later Ziva's cart was full of items that had not been provided by the child's mother, as well as several duplicates of items that had not been forgotten. As she made her way to the edge of the aisle and, more importantly, the checkout lines, Ziva noticed a large display of stuffed animals. A small animal in the middle of the display caught her attention. She removed it from the display, placed it with the rest of the items in her cart, and continued on to the checkout.

Ziva managed to make it through the checkout without threatening bodily harm on the incompetent teenager manning the till. It was a sad commentary on the state of American education when a cashier who had ostensibly left primary school could not make correct change. She would have to make sure that the same fate did not befall Tony's daughter. She finished loading her car and began to make her way back to the hospital.

* * *

Tony didn't think it should really be taking this long. It was just buying enough stuff to make it through the holiday. How long did that take? He realized that Ziva wasn't exactly a normal woman, but still.

This was the first time that he had been left alone with his daughter, and he was beginning to think that it had been a bad idea for them to have left him. His tiny daughter had a very powerful set of lungs on her. Plus she had fought her way through being put into her little snowsuit.

"Come on, kid. Help me out here. I just changed you. Gibbs just fed you. Please stop wailing." He paced across the room, with her bundled form in his arms.

"She is hot." He looked toward the door, to see Ziva standing there.

"Thank god. What took you so long?" Tony started strapping the baby into her car seat.

"There were many items that I was required to purchase. Some of them required more thought than others." Ziva told him as she began collecting the diaper bag. "My car is parked outside the front entrance. Has she been discharged?"

"Yeah. I have a very healthy baby girl." Tony said somewhat proudly, with a trace of something else.

Once they reached the car, Tony expertly buckled the baby carrier into the car, before turning to Ziva. "Would it be weird if I sat in the back seat? She's still screaming, and I don't want her to be lonely."

"I think that is very appropriate." Ziva said as she climbed into the driver's seat.

Upon arriving at Tony's house, Ziva and Tony both got out of the car. Tony unbuckled the car seat and passed it to Ziva once they reached the front door.

"Why do you still have hollytoe in your apartment?" She asked him, over the baby's cries, while he fiddled with his spare set of keys. Before he could use them, Gibbs opened the door.

"Your car open, David?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes." Gibbs brushed past them and moved out the front door where they could see him gathering items from the trunk of her car.

"It's called mistletoe, and my landlady keeps hoping she'll get me under it." Tony told her as he started to remove the baby from her car seat and her snowsuit. As he freed her arms, her wailing seemed to quiet. "Oh, that's it. Auntie Ziva was right; you were hot. There we go."

Ziva helped Gibbs to move the last of the items into Tony's apartment.

"I've set the cradle up in your room, Tony. You'll probably want her close by for now. I'll let Ziva help you get settled." Tony looked up to see Gibbs putting on his coat.

"Boss…"

"You'll be fine." And with that, Gibbs was gone.

Ziva took off her coat and began organizing the shopping. After a few moments, Ziva realized that the only sound was the baby's whimpering and she turned to look at Tony. Tony was staring at his daughter very intently.

"Is she alright?" Ziva asked, now very concerned.

"Holly." Tony said.

"What?"

"She looks like a Holly." Tony told her, glancing her way before turning back to the baby. "Don't you think?"

Ziva found herself looking at the girl before her in the same way that Tony had been looking at her before. Tony was now looking carefully at Ziva.

"Holly Caitlin DiNozzo." They both mulled it over before Ziva continued. "I think she looks very much like a Holly."

"Well, Miss Holly, I need to pass you over to your Auntie Ziva." Ziva accepted Holly willingly.

"Just Ziva." She told him as she adjusted Holly in her arms. Tony stood and moved towards the groups of bags.

"What? How much stuff did you buy?" Tony asked.

"I would prefer to be called Ziva. Auntie Ziva makes me sound like an old lady. And babies require many things. We have been over this."

"Ziva it is. Where am I going to put all of this? I'm going to need a bigger place."

"Yes, I think you might." Tony found the items he was looking for and took them into the kitchen. Ziva located another item and followed him.

"This is a gift for Holly." Ziva presented him with the small stuffed animal that she had found at the store. "You will have to excuse the wrapping."

"Plastic bags are the height of fashion." Tony told her as he accepted the small package. Ziva moved her free hand to Holly's back and began rubbing slow circles as she watched him unwrap her gift. He looked at it for a moment.

"I am sure you do not remember. It is a…" Before she could continue, Tony interrupted.

"It's a porcupig." He told her with a grin.

"Yes." She smiled back at him, before Holly began to fuss. "I believe she will soon need to be fed."

"Right." Tony looked at all of the items he had brought into the kitchen. He had removed several bottles and a can of formula from the bag. He looked up at Ziva with a look of panic that was becoming familiar to her. "How do I this?"

* * *

Author's Note: I'd like to make it plain that I did not name the baby after Lauren Holly. I was going to call the baby Katie, but I felt that it was a little overused, so settled on Holly. I then realized that she would share her name with Jenny's actress. But that's coincidental. I just think it's a cute name that Tony might like. Please review!


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